Cruising British Columbia
Volume IV: Roscoe Bay to Squirrel Cove
Even though Roscoe Bay had enough going for it to keep us occupied for weeks, we followed Juniata and Millennium Dragon out into Waddington Channel, across Homfray Channel, and into Prideaux Haven, another very popular anchorage in Desolation Sound. It was a very short hop. We rolled out the jib briefly to catch a breeze and shot photos of the spectacular clouds clinging to the peaks up Homfray. The view is memorable.
While Juniata and Milly D established their base mid-harbor, Rikki-tikki headed for digs closer to the south shore of Prideaux anchorage. The depths remained at fifty feet and our anchor just didn't seem to grab, so we circled around to the other side. Choosing a niche in a rocky bight, albeit one without the preferred view of the mountains, our Northill dug in and we tied to a tree ashore off the stern. Confident that we were settled for the night, Darzee took us to cocktails and dinner on Juniata, who had "the view". We bought along our Silent Sam vodka. Mmmmm... it is too smooth! It began to rain as we returned to Rikki-tikki, with distant lightning and thunder.
When we awoke next morning, it was low tide and the wind was blowing us toward the shore. Clark is asking, "Is this too close, dear?" We let out some shore line and pulled in on the anchor rode to keep the ama off the rocks. (Isn't it cool how we can tie Darzee under Rikki's wing so he doesn't fill with rainwater?)
Our trusty Porta-Bote dinghy, allows us to get to farther-away places for investigation. Dave and Clark went fishing after breakfast but didn't catch anything. Later, we explored nearby Melanie and Laura Coves, and went around Eveleigh Island. The morning after the thunderstorm, the carcass of a tree accented this scene looking across Homfray Channel.
The second morning, when the weather was back to wonderful, and before the wakes of dozens of vessels disturb the glassy water, the reflections are amazing. The two masts just to left of center are Juniata and Milly D. We discovered a remote, tiny cove where a huge school of silver fish circled as they fed. We watched, mesmerized.
Valhalla, with Wes and Patti aboard, were to meet us in Squirrel Cove, Cortes Island. Juniata and Milly D left after breakfast. Rikki-tikki, heeding his own clock, followed later on but nearly caught up to Milly D as she left the little town of Squirrel Cove, having stopped for provisions at the little store. Inside the cove, we anchored and enjoyed another evening aboard the twins. As we sipped wine, a Nordic Tug came in and dropped anchor practically on top of Juniata's chain. Dave, not happy, let out another twenty feet to back away. That night, as the wind clocked around, that insensitive powerboater ended up looking directly into our aft settee– too close! We put down the shade! On top of invading our space, at eight a.m., he started his genset. We raised our anchor and moved away into the small, shallow area just in front of the lagoon.
As we finished relocating, we just happened to notice that the tide was perfect for gaining access into the lagoon. Entrance is only possible at a slack tide with enough water to cover its rocky channel. At other times, water cascades into or out of the large body of water behind this barracade. Darzee was gently floated over staghorn seaweed, purple sea stars, orange cushion stars, large burgundy and smaller white mitridium anemones, and pushed past the ledge at the inside of the channel. At this meeting of moving water, there were large schools of juvenile fishes of different kinds, some long and eel-like, others flashing open gills as they fed. We saw shield-backed crab and hundreds of wine-colored stichopus, sponges in bright oranges and pinks, big sea stars with long legs, and many colors and sizes of sunflower stars. We gazed over the sides of our little boat, entranced. Knowing time was short, we tried to absorb all the detail we were seeing, but in just a few minutes, the tide turned and took Darzee back into the channel, over the fascinating tidal environment. We were flushed back into the harbor, back into deeper water. There, the ubiquitous moon jellies slowly glided by as we rowed back to Rikki-tikki for breakfast. What a wonderful ride!
We felt it was time to celebrate, now that Valhalla had joined us again, so we invited the entire flotilla aboard for appetizers. We laid out a cheese and meat tray, got out the wine, connected the JBL onTour speakers to the iPod, set it to "shuffle"– we were ready for the crowd. Clark fetched four of RTT's guests in a dinghy-train (quack-quack!). Barry, Gerta's crew, contributed a bottle of champagne for the toast– to friendship, to cruising, and to Rikki-tikki.
Somehow, appetizers expanded to all ten people for dinner! Thankfully, the evening was balmy and everyone else went back to their boats to fetch the food. All we had to do was mix up Gerta's salad, heat Marcia's zucchini lasagna, provide some plates, and clean up. What a great party! RTT was properly broken in– christened, as Bev said.
We waved good-bye to Juniata and Milly D the next morning and promptly headed back to the lagoon for another go at viewing the wonders there. This time we had the motor on, so we went all the way around the lagoon looking at sea creatures and exploring. There were several small, picturesque islands. We advised the crew of Valhalla that they had just enough time to get into the lagoon to see the rich and varied sealife, but they hadn't eaten breakfast yet. When they attempted entry just a short while later, the door had closed. Water rushed over the rocks from the lagoon like a waterfall. They were content with a walk along the edges.
Rikki-tikki was left alone again as Valhalla went across to the dock at Refuge Cove. We decided to go to Tenedos Bay, where reportedly another lake is within easy hiking distance. Before we weighed anchor, we zoomed over to the town in Darzee for a little shopping. The store had wonderful produce in the walk-in cold box, a very good selection of groceries, a hardware section in the basement, and a liquor store. There is also a nice restaurant nearby, a crafts shop, showers and laundromat, but no diesel. We bought some California wine, eggs, cream, and produce, and made a few phone calls from the booth. The photo shows the government float at Squirrel Cove viewed from the small dinghy dock. Refuge Cove is just across the water. Great view, terrific weather!
Now, we're off to Tenedos Bay!
Even though Roscoe Bay had enough going for it to keep us occupied for weeks, we followed Juniata and Millennium Dragon out into Waddington Channel, across Homfray Channel, and into Prideaux Haven, another very popular anchorage in Desolation Sound. It was a very short hop. We rolled out the jib briefly to catch a breeze and shot photos of the spectacular clouds clinging to the peaks up Homfray. The view is memorable.
While Juniata and Milly D established their base mid-harbor, Rikki-tikki headed for digs closer to the south shore of Prideaux anchorage. The depths remained at fifty feet and our anchor just didn't seem to grab, so we circled around to the other side. Choosing a niche in a rocky bight, albeit one without the preferred view of the mountains, our Northill dug in and we tied to a tree ashore off the stern. Confident that we were settled for the night, Darzee took us to cocktails and dinner on Juniata, who had "the view". We bought along our Silent Sam vodka. Mmmmm... it is too smooth! It began to rain as we returned to Rikki-tikki, with distant lightning and thunder.
When we awoke next morning, it was low tide and the wind was blowing us toward the shore. Clark is asking, "Is this too close, dear?" We let out some shore line and pulled in on the anchor rode to keep the ama off the rocks. (Isn't it cool how we can tie Darzee under Rikki's wing so he doesn't fill with rainwater?)
Our trusty Porta-Bote dinghy, allows us to get to farther-away places for investigation. Dave and Clark went fishing after breakfast but didn't catch anything. Later, we explored nearby Melanie and Laura Coves, and went around Eveleigh Island. The morning after the thunderstorm, the carcass of a tree accented this scene looking across Homfray Channel.
The second morning, when the weather was back to wonderful, and before the wakes of dozens of vessels disturb the glassy water, the reflections are amazing. The two masts just to left of center are Juniata and Milly D. We discovered a remote, tiny cove where a huge school of silver fish circled as they fed. We watched, mesmerized. 
Valhalla, with Wes and Patti aboard, were to meet us in Squirrel Cove, Cortes Island. Juniata and Milly D left after breakfast. Rikki-tikki, heeding his own clock, followed later on but nearly caught up to Milly D as she left the little town of Squirrel Cove, having stopped for provisions at the little store. Inside the cove, we anchored and enjoyed another evening aboard the twins. As we sipped wine, a Nordic Tug came in and dropped anchor practically on top of Juniata's chain. Dave, not happy, let out another twenty feet to back away. That night, as the wind clocked around, that insensitive powerboater ended up looking directly into our aft settee– too close! We put down the shade! On top of invading our space, at eight a.m., he started his genset. We raised our anchor and moved away into the small, shallow area just in front of the lagoon.
As we finished relocating, we just happened to notice that the tide was perfect for gaining access into the lagoon. Entrance is only possible at a slack tide with enough water to cover its rocky channel. At other times, water cascades into or out of the large body of water behind this barracade. Darzee was gently floated over staghorn seaweed, purple sea stars, orange cushion stars, large burgundy and smaller white mitridium anemones, and pushed past the ledge at the inside of the channel. At this meeting of moving water, there were large schools of juvenile fishes of different kinds, some long and eel-like, others flashing open gills as they fed. We saw shield-backed crab and hundreds of wine-colored stichopus, sponges in bright oranges and pinks, big sea stars with long legs, and many colors and sizes of sunflower stars. We gazed over the sides of our little boat, entranced. Knowing time was short, we tried to absorb all the detail we were seeing, but in just a few minutes, the tide turned and took Darzee back into the channel, over the fascinating tidal environment. We were flushed back into the harbor, back into deeper water. There, the ubiquitous moon jellies slowly glided by as we rowed back to Rikki-tikki for breakfast. What a wonderful ride!
We felt it was time to celebrate, now that Valhalla had joined us again, so we invited the entire flotilla aboard for appetizers. We laid out a cheese and meat tray, got out the wine, connected the JBL onTour speakers to the iPod, set it to "shuffle"– we were ready for the crowd. Clark fetched four of RTT's guests in a dinghy-train (quack-quack!). Barry, Gerta's crew, contributed a bottle of champagne for the toast– to friendship, to cruising, and to Rikki-tikki.
Somehow, appetizers expanded to all ten people for dinner! Thankfully, the evening was balmy and everyone else went back to their boats to fetch the food. All we had to do was mix up Gerta's salad, heat Marcia's zucchini lasagna, provide some plates, and clean up. What a great party! RTT was properly broken in– christened, as Bev said.
We waved good-bye to Juniata and Milly D the next morning and promptly headed back to the lagoon for another go at viewing the wonders there. This time we had the motor on, so we went all the way around the lagoon looking at sea creatures and exploring. There were several small, picturesque islands. We advised the crew of Valhalla that they had just enough time to get into the lagoon to see the rich and varied sealife, but they hadn't eaten breakfast yet. When they attempted entry just a short while later, the door had closed. Water rushed over the rocks from the lagoon like a waterfall. They were content with a walk along the edges.
Rikki-tikki was left alone again as Valhalla went across to the dock at Refuge Cove. We decided to go to Tenedos Bay, where reportedly another lake is within easy hiking distance. Before we weighed anchor, we zoomed over to the town in Darzee for a little shopping. The store had wonderful produce in the walk-in cold box, a very good selection of groceries, a hardware section in the basement, and a liquor store. There is also a nice restaurant nearby, a crafts shop, showers and laundromat, but no diesel. We bought some California wine, eggs, cream, and produce, and made a few phone calls from the booth. The photo shows the government float at Squirrel Cove viewed from the small dinghy dock. Refuge Cove is just across the water. Great view, terrific weather!
Now, we're off to Tenedos Bay!
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